Transition device for car couplers



Jan. 18, 1927.

J. WILLISON TRANSITION DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS o i i Filed March '7, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. WILLISON TRANSITION DEVICE FOR GAR COUPLERS Original Fi led March 7, 1922 M .0. M Q 8 M 5 FI/(Al m n m LT F/ x l Gum,

Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Jenn wI 'LIson, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, Assrenoit, nY ivinsnn ASSIGNMENTS, r0

narronan MALLEABLE AND STEEL casr nescoiarnnr, or cLEvnLAnnonro; n

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TRANSITION DEVICE FOR CA-R OOUPLERS.

Application filed March 7. 1922, Serial No. 541,758.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved transition device; Fig. 2 is a plan thereof; and. Fig. 3 is a detail of the contour face of the coupler to which the transition device is attached.

My invention relates particularly to transitional coupling mechanism and is designed to provide means for permitting car couplers to be coupled with cars equipped with couplers of other types, such as of draw hook connection type, To this end I have provided a transitional or supplemental coupling device which can be carried by the automatic coupler and may be easily brought into and out of operative position, so that the coupler may be ready for coupling with an automatic coupler of the same type or with a draw hook arrangement, or any other form of car coupler. My improved device is also equipped with ad justing means whereby the eifective over all length of the transitional device may be varied to take up slack between the cars. My invention also consists in the various features which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates acoupler of the automatic type and B a conpler of the draw hook type. Pivotally hung from a pin 2 mounted in the coupler head A is a draft member 8. The draft member at its forward end terminates in a socket -1 within which seats the head 5 of an outwardly extending screw member 6. Thread ed upon the screw member 6 is a nut 7 provided with trunnion extensions 8 which extend through the eyes of a clevis or shackle 9. Rigidly attached to the screw member (3 between its head 5 and its screw portion is a collar 10, from which a weighted handle 11 hangs by the pivot 12. 13 are the buffers which maintain the cars a predetermined distance apart.

lVhen a coupling is desired between conplers of different types, as between the coupler A, and the coupler B, the transitional device (which when not in use hangs in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1) is swung up and the shackle 9 is hooked over the hook of the couplerB. The handle 11 is then rotated to screw up the nut 7 to the right, as shown in Fig. 1, thus shortening the eti'ective over all length of the tran- Renewed June 1, 1926.

sition device, until the buffers are in con tact, as is shown in Fig. 2.

In order to uncouple, the screw is turned by means of the weighted handle 11 in the reverse direction until the nut 7 is run out against the collar 14 on the outer end of the screw member 6, the round head at the opposite end of the screw permitting turn ing in the socket 4. This gives suflicient slack so that the shackle can be raised 11 over the point of the draw hook B. The whole device then swings down about the pivot 2 into inoperative position underneath the coupler, as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. lVhen in this position the forward face 15 of the draft member 3 lies flush with the contour face 16 of the coupler, the face 15 being formed so as to match the contour face 16 of the coupler, as is shown in Fig. then in this inoperative position the handle 11 swings about its pivot 12 by which it is attached to the collar 10, so as to hang down in a more or less vertical position, and the device may be held in this position by means of a latch 17 which engages the inner edge of the socket portion 1 of the draft member 3. This latch 17 merely keeps the transitional device from swinging forward from inoperative position and interfering with an opposing coupler when of like type The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

lVhat I claim is:

1. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types, comprising a draft member pivotally connected to one of said couplers and arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane, a bail member and means connecting said members whereby their eifective length may be varied; said draft member when in use eX- tending forwardly between the jaws of said coupler and being maintained in a position out of the vertical only by its connection with the opposing coupler, said draft mem- (lit loo

ber being freely movable from an operative to a non operating position to allow said car coupler without alteration of parts to couple With a similar coupler.

2. Transitional coupling mechanism for coupling together couplers of different types, comprising a draft member pivotally connected to one of said couplers and arranged to swing freely in a vertical plane, the Said coupler ha ing a bu'liing face and a slot extending longitudinally and rearwardly from the buffing face within which the draft me1nber is pivoted, the draft member having means for closing the forward end of said slot when the coupler is used for like-tolike coupling and the member is in nonoperating position.

JOHN lVILLISON. 

